Harriers bounced back from their FA Cup disappointment with a performance of commitment and endeavour to draw with Hereford in the first meeting of the clubs for six seasons.

The performance given by Harriers who came from behind and dominated the second half deserved more than just one point, but Aggborough's largest gate of the season went home entertained and encouraged after a pulsating derby that was more like a cup-tie than last weekend's damp squib at Southport. Stuart Watkiss made some changes to the side with the enforced loss of Iyseden Christie who was serving a one-match ban being replaced in attack by Taiwo Atieno, Johnny Mullins returned for the departing Wayne Evans while Danny Lewis kept his place in goal for the third game in a row.

After a cagey opening Harriers suffered an early setback after just seven minutes when The Bulls took the lead. Jamie Pitman won the ball in midfield and skipped away from Terry Fleming and rode his luck past the challenge of Martin O'Connor and as the Harriers defence opened up in front of him struck a stinging shot from over 20 yards out into the roof of the net. United could have gone further ahead on 20 minutes when Jon Brady turned Wayne Hatswell inside out on the wing and then shot over the bar from outside the penalty area.

By the midpoint in the half all Harriers had to show for their efforts was a tame Atieno shot that had gone wide but that all change on 27 minutes when Gareth Sheldon picked out Simon Russell on the left whose chipped cross into the goalmouth found the head of Atieno who guided it past Wayne Brown for his fifth goal of the season. Ten minutes before the interval Hereford had the ball in the net, Tamika Mkandawire heading in from Brady's corner, but the goal was disallowed as he had climbed on the back of Hatswell to reach the cross.

After the break, and with the wind at their backs, Harriers began to take control of the game. Atieno jinked into the box on the right only to see his shot at the near post blocked by Tony James. At the other end United were still in the game, Mkandawire heading over the near post at a right-wing corner.

The longer the game went on the stronger Harriers got and they created a string of chances. A deep cross from the right by Mullins was knocked back across the face of goal by Russell but United managed to clear; shortly afterwards Brown flapped at a right wing cross, dropping it, but just as Lee Thompson, on for the injured Sheldon, was about to shoot the ball was cleared off his foot by Rob Purdie.

Brown made up for his earlier error fifteen minutes from the end with a miracle save from Atieno's close-range effort, pushing the ball away for a corner; from the resultant kick Mullins' header was punched away from danger by Brown. A cross from deep on the left flank by Hatswell found Atieno but he could only guide his header wide of the near post.

Inside the last ten minutes Harriers continued to press for a winner. A long ball forward was flicked on by the lively Thompson into the path of Atieno on the left but as he broke into the penalty area he went down over the top of the challenge from Brown but referee Bob Desmond waved play on. United's last chance came two minutes from the end, Dean Beckwith breaking through on the left only for his shot to be blocked by Daryl Burgess at the expense of a corner. The last action of the game took place in the Hereford penalty area, Simon Heslop making a run into the box on the right before pulling the ball back to Russell whose shot was blocked by Brady.

KidderminsterHarriers.com

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